The EU has removed Belfast shipyard Harland & Wolff from its list of approved ship recycling facilities.
As The Currency reports, high environmental and safety standards are set by the EU in relation to yards approved for dismantling and recycling EU-flagged vessels.
Harland & Wolff changed ownership in 2025 after Spanish shipbuilding firm Navantia bought the famous shipyard, and the new owners have committed nearly £100 million (€115 million) to expanding operations.
Under the 2018 EU Ship Recycling Regulation, all large vessels sailing under the flag of an EU member state can only use only the facilities on the approved list.
There is no such facility now on the island of Ireland, The Currency reports.
The updated list includes 41 yards, including 30 in the EU, Britain and Norway, ten in Turkey and one in the US.
Two other shipyards have also been removed from the approved list - one in Finland and the other in Turkey.
Staff working on scrapping ships can be exposed to harmful substances like asbestos, lead and mercury, which can also damage local environments.
The EU recently updated its ship recycling list to include more shipyards in Europe and third countries that meet high standards.
Harland & Wolff was removed from the list as it “failed to provide the necessary information for renewal”, The Currency reports.
The Belfast shipyard’s parent company Navantia UK did not respond to a request for comment, it says.
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